Former islander Edsel “Ed” Williamson, age 76, died Aug. 23 in Tacoma.

He was born in Seattle on March 17, 1927 to Edward and Anna Williamson.

He attended Emerson Grade School and Franklin High School in Seattle.

He worked a short time with the Forest Service in the Montezano area, until he enlisted in the Navy in 1944. He served on the USS Pennsylvania, which was in Bucker Bay during the battle of Okinawa.

Following his discharge from the Navy, he worked with his father for a time building their house. Shortly thereafter, he and a buddy went to work in the woods outside Forks at Camp Dickey, where he worked as a “powder monkey.”

It was in this logging camp that he met his future wife, who had come from Montana and was working in the camp as a “flunky.”

They married in Seattle, and Edsel went to work for the Bell Telephone Company, where he continued until his retirement at age 50.

He was transferred numerous times and enjoyed living in various places in western Washington. Three of their children were born before his transfer to Bainbridge Island, where he was able to realize his dream of building a home for his family.

The acreage was dense with cedar trees and brush, so the long labor of home-building began with clearing an area and manually digging a well.

Two more children were born as the home took shape, and the family settled into the Seabold community. Williamson, known for his puns and wit, declared himself the Mayor of Seabold.

He joined the rifle club and became a scout master — which, with three sons, lasted for many years.

He was creative and enthusiastic as the founder of Troop 573, organizing a cider squeezing and other means of raising funds and involving the community in the scouts. For his long service to the scouting program, he was honored with the Silver Beaver award.

He and his family took numerous trips to Montana and Oregon and most frequently went camping on the Pacific coast. He enjoyed hunting in his younger years and was a gun collector.

In the later years, he made wine for enjoyment and sharing. He also built another shop. Building was in his blood — his father was a Finnish carpenter.

In the mid 1960s, he was transferred to Port Angeles, where he bought a half acre and began a new phase of his life. He was divorced several years later.

He remarried, and he and his wife traveled to other states for a time as he did contract telephone work. His two families remained close, sharing the good times and the bad as the years passed and the children grew up.

Survivors include his present wife, her grown children and their families. He is also survived by his former wife; sons Marc (Linda) of Bainbridge Island, and Chris of Coos Bay, Ore.; daughters Maureen (Terry) Anderson of Graham and Lori Haubrich of Jefferson Beach Estates; grandchildren Erik, Trygg, Emily, Ryan, Whitney, Dustin and Dylan; and great-grandchildren Tristan and Riley.

He was preceded in 1991 by his son Scott, who lost his life in an accident.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Harper Ridge View Funeral Home in Port Angeles, with a reception and graveside services to follow.